Guilty?
by bionic4ever
Summary: Jack Hansen is murdered, and Oscar, with good reason, is the only suspect. Will Jaime and Steve be able to clear him?
1. Chapter 1

**Guilty?**

Chapter One

The phone call at 3am barely registered with Jaime at the time. She had been more than half-asleep when she'd answered it. The caller had asked for Steve, and she poked him awake with the receiver, mumbled "It's the Secretary, for you" then rolled over and re-closed her eyes. Steve finished his phone call, got out of bed, dressed and leaned over the bed to kiss his nearly-asleep fiancee'.

"What?" she mumbled, sounding a bit cranky.

"I have to go to work, Sweetheart."

"What time is it?"

"3am." He kissed her gently. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Jaime said, not really awake. It was only after Steve had left the house that the phone call actually registered in her mind and Jaime sat up in bed, suddenly fully alert.

The Secretary...that was the _Secretary_ - Oscar's boss. What did he need Steve for, especially at 3:00 in the morning? Had something happened to Oscar?

------

Jaime was unable to go back to sleep. She was too worried about Oscar...and Steve. She was on her third cup of coffee when the phone rang again, just after 7:30am.

"Jaime? It's Peggy Callahan." Her voice quivered with emotion, and Jaime realized Oscar's secretary was crying.

"What's wrong, Peggy? Is it Oscar?"

"I - I can't talk about it over the phone. We really need you to come down to the office. Can you come right away?"

"Of course. I'll be there in 20 minutes."

------

A death-like silence seemed to surround OSI Headquarters as Jaime walked quickly past the Tranquility Fountain, up the sidewalk and through the front entrance. The receptionist's eyes were red-rimmed and her face a ghostly shade of white. She didn't answer when Jaime said a tentative 'Good morning' and seemed unable to even look at her. _Ok, I am officially spooked,_ Jaime thought as she walked down the nearly deserted hallway, punched in her security code and got on the express elevator to Oscar's office.

She opened the glass door to the outer office and found Callahan with her head down on her desk, pillowed by her arms, her shoulders trembling with silent sobs. Jaime placed a hand on the secretary's shoulder. "Peggy?"

Callahan didn't look up. In a voice muffled by the desk and her arms, she told Jaime "He's in there. I'm supposed to send you right in."

Jaime patted her friend's back as reassuringly as she could manage, given her own growing fear. The door to Oscar's office was open, but Jaime knocked anyway, on the doorframe. Oscar's chair was swiveled around with its back to the door.

"Come in, Jaime," a soft, familiar voice - that wasn't Oscar's - told her. "Close the door, please."

She did as requested, but remained standing just inside the doorway, virtually paralyzed. _No way,_ she thought. Then the person in the OSI Director's chair turned to face her and she saw that she was right.

"Steve...?"

"Sit down, Swee - Jaime. Please?" She did so, very uneasily.

"Where's Oscar?"

"Remember the blow-up we had with Jack Hansen yesterday morning?"

"Kinda hard to forget. I've never seen Oscar so angry."

"Jaime...Hansen's dead."

"Stupidity's suddenly fatal? Oh, God - you're serious."

"They found him last night," Steve said quietly. "Shot once in the back, once in the chest."

"He was - murdered?"

"The Feds came here just before midnight last night, and of course Oscar was still at his desk -"

"Oh, no -"

Steve nodded. "Oscar's been arrested for First Degree Murder."

"Oscar would _never_ -"

"I know," Steve agreed.

"Are you...his replacement?"

"According to the Secretary, yes. But in my mind, I'm just holding Oscar's place for him until he comes back."

This was too much for Jaime to process all at once. "Hansen's dead, Oscar's in jail, and my fiance is my new boss. Could life possibly get any better?"

Steve took a deep breath, trying to steel himself before telling her the rest. "The FBI investigators are downstairs in the conference room. They wanna talk to you."

"No."

"What?"

"A simple word, not hard to understand: **NO**. I'm not gonna do it."

"Jaime -"

"Look, what we saw and heard yesterday is enough to put Oscar away, and you know as well as I do that he's innocent. I won't incriminate him for something he didn't do."

"They already know," Steve said slowly.

"Wonderful." Jaime glared at her fiance, who was apparently also her new boss. "How could you do that to Oscar?"

"You know how many people saw or heard at least part of what happened? I couldn't exactly lie. And you'd better not either."

"I told you - I'm not doing it."

"Jaime...you don't have a choice. If you refuse to talk to them, they'll lock you up until you change your mind."

"Do I need a lawyer?" she asked.

"No. You're a witness, not a suspect. I'm supposed to go in there with you, as Director."

"But you're a witness, too -"

"That's why I had to give my full statement first. I'm not allowed to influence your testimony in any way, but I'm there to make sure they treat you fairly. And to make sure you behave." Steve stood up. "We have to go now."

"Steve, please...don't make me do this."

"C'mon; let's go." he took her arm and gently but firmly forced her out of the office and down to the conference room. Jaime was scared out of her mind,but also mad as Hell.

------


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The FBI agents rose from their chairs when Steve escorted/pushed Jaime into the conference room. "Miss Sommers, I'm Special Agent Dupree and this is Special Agent Thomas. Thank you for coming."

Jaime sat down. "It was my understanding that I didn't have a choice," she muttered.

"Jaime!" Steve looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

"They want the truth, don't they?" she argued. "_That's the truth_."

"Knock it off, Jaime," Steve told her through clenched teeth.

"Miss Sommers," Dupree began, "were you present yesterday morning for a discussion between Jack Hansen and Oscar Goldman?"

Jaime sat in stone-faced silence. Steve sighed. "Answer the question, Jaime."

"They already know I was."

Steve stood up. "Gentlemen, I'd like to have a word with my operative. If you could excuse us, we'll be right back." Dupree nodded. Steve took Jaime's arm again and led her out of the room and into a tiny, unused office next door. "Care to tell me what the hell you were doing in there?" he seethed. Jaime didn't answer. "You're just begging them to throw you in a cell. Is that what you want?"

"_Your operative_?" Jaime said bitterly. "What happened to _your fiancee' _?"

"Look, I didn't want this job. Given a choice, I would've said no. I was drafted, but since I'm here, I have to do this job to the best of my ability." Steve's eyes softened as he looked at her, but his voice remained firm. "At home, I love you with every fiber of my being, more than life itself - you know that. But here, I've got a job to do. Jaime, I'll put you in that cell myself if I have to. Please don't make me do that." Jaime was speechless - stunned and furious. "Come on," Steve said softly, "let's just get it over with." Jaime silently followed him back into the conference room. "We're ready," Steve told the investigators.

"Miss Sommers, to the best of your knowledge, how did yesterday's confrontation begin?" Dupree asked her.

"Oscar called Jack into his office to talk about the security the NSB provided during a cooperative mission last week. Or...I guess I should say lack of security," Jaime explained.

"Please go on," Dupree prompted.

"We were infiltrating a drug cartel, down in South America: two operatives from the NSB, Steve - I mean, _Colonel Austin_ - and me. There were also two more from the NSB whose job was to oversee security for all four of us."

"Did they do that?" Dupree asked Jaime.

"They did an excellent job - for the two NSB operatives. Colonel Austin and I were left wide open, while we thought they had us covered, and we were very nearly killed."

"Mister Goldman was angry?"

"All three of us were."

"Who was present during this discussion?"

"When it started, there were five: Oscar, Jack, Colonel Austin, Peggy and me."

"Peggy...Callahan?" Dupree asked, looking at his notes.

"Right."

"Did you see or hear Oscar Goldman threaten Jack Hansen?"

"Not then; not in the office."

"How did the location of the argument change?"

"Jack laughed, said it was Oscar's problem if he couldn't keep his own people safe. He started to leave, and Oscar followed him."

"Then what happened?"

"They stopped by the outer doors and Oscar reminded Jack that the NSB was charged with all of the security on this assignment, for all four operatives, when in fact they'd left Steve - Colonel Austin - and myself more vulnerable than if there'd been no security at all."

"Why was that?"

"It was almost like they'd drawn a line in the sand; the ones on their side of the line, their own co-workers, were camouflaged. Safe. That was like pointing a big red neon arrow at the other two of us," Jaime told him.

"I see. And that's when he threatened him?"

"No. All five of us wound up in the front lobby. Jack kept turning to walk away, and Oscar grabbed him, first by his arm, then by the collar of his shirt, and made him stay. He just wanted Jack to admit responsibility. He didn't really threaten him. It was more of a ' what if '."

"Please continue," Dupree urged.

"He asked Jack how he'd feel if the guns were aimed at him and the security he'd been depending on wasn't there."

"Did Mister Goldman threaten to shoot him?"

"No," Jaime answered.

"Did he threaten to have him shot?"

"No!"

"Miss Sommers, did _you_ shoot Jack Hansen?"

"No, I did not."

"Who do you think killed him? As an experienced operative, you must have some sort of theory."

"I don't know who killed him. I only know who didn't. Oscar Goldman wouldn't - couldn't - _ever_ do something like that."

Dupree looked directly into Jaime's eyes, and she stared back, unflinchingly. "What about Steve Austin?" Dupree theorized.

"Colonel Austin was with me last night. He couldn't have done it either." Jaime sighed. "To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone from his own staff. He was never the nicest person. But that doesn't mean he deserved to die," she quickly added.

"Alright, Miss Sommers; that's all we'll be needing from you at this time. Thank you for your cooperation."

Before getting up, Jaime looked at Steve. "Am I free to go, _Colonel_?"

"Yes," he answered, feeling defeated and suddenly very tired.

------


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Steve didn't get home until after 7:00 that night, and he found Jaime sitting in front of the fireplace, staring at the fire with an untouched 'Dinner for One' frozen dinner growing cold in front of her and tears pearling silently on her cheeks.

"Jaime?" He knelt on the floor beside her, placing a gentle arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright?" He reached up to tenderly brush away her tears, but Jaime pulled away from him.

"_Don't touch me_," she sobbed. "How could you do that to me today? Throw me to the wolves like that?"

"You weren't thrown to the wolves; they only wanted to know what you saw and heard. And I was only doing my job. If you wanna talk about bad, uncalled-for behavior, you were acting like a two-year-old having a temper tantrum."

"You were acting like someone I didn't even know," Jaime countered.

"I want you to ask yourself one question, and answer it honestly: would you have acted like that if Oscar was in the room with you, instead of me?"

Jaime began to cry in earnest. "If Oscar could've been in the room, none of this would be happening in the first place." She looked at Steve with pain-filled eyes. "You _dragged_ me into that room. How was I supposed to react?"

"It was either drag you in there or drag you into a prison cell -"

"And to have Callahan call me down there, instead of calling yourself and maybe - oh, I don't know - _warning me_? When did you become so cold?"

"Jaime, if I would've warned you, you'd never have come in. Would you?" Steve asked. Jaime couldn't answer him. "It broke my heart to have to do that to you. If I would've refused to bring you in, though, it would've meant we'd be spending tonight in adjoining cells." Steve reached over and softly caressed her arm. This time, she didn't pull away. "We both know Oscar's innocent, and I can't let the OSI - his baby - fall apart while he's gone. I won't do that to-"

"You're right," Jaime said, almost too quietly to be heard. "I'd like to say I was testing your dedication to your new job, but I wasn't; I was being a brat. Steve, you were right about all of it and I'm so sorry," she told him, searching his eyes for forgiveness and realizing there was never anger there to begin with, only worry and sorrow. Steve enfolded her in warm, comforting arms and simply let her release all the tension and fear she'd been carrying all day, rubbing her back and stroking her hair until the torrent of tears slowed to a trickle and finally stopped.

"You have every right to hate me," Jaime said, leaning back a little to look in Steve's eyes.

"Never happen," he assured her. He kissed her softly, and she clung to him, returning the kiss hungrily until it turned passionate. Their eyes met as their tongues began a teasingly playful game of hide and seek. They made love with a closeness and tenderness greater than they'd ever known before, seeming to understand instinctively that, for most couples, that day would've spelled the end.

------

Later, they sat once again by the fire and shared a bottle of wine. "How do we handle this," Jaime began, "so we never have a replay of today - ever again?"

"All we can do is agree that work stays at work, no exceptions, and home stays home."

"Deal. What do you think we should do about Oscar? I know that's work, but -"

"It's personal, too; he's our friend." Steve thought for a few moments. "Officially, the OSI can't be involved in the investigation in any way, because of who Oscar is. Unofficially though, working solely through the homefront here, and not through the office, ever, we need to do anything and everything to clear him."

Jaime nodded. "I don't even know where to start, though."

"We start by talking to anyone who witnessed even a small part of what happened - casually, as friends, like 'Do you believe he said that?' Ask what they think about it all. Hopefully, something is gonna turn up that way that the FBI couldn't uncover. Then, we go from there."

"Is that the boss I hear talking?"

"I don't think the boss would dare do this," he said, kissing her. "Besides, I locked him in the office when I left tonight."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear," Jaime said, smiling.

------

This time, when the phone woke them, Jaime didn't bother to answer. She poked Steve in the ribs until he was awake, picked up the receiver and handed it to him. "You know it's not for me," she told him. Looking at the clock, she thought, _At least this time they waited until 6am._

Steve listened closely to the caller. "Are you sure?" he asked. "That can't be right." He looked at Jaime with exaggerated wide eyes, so she was clued in that this was big. "Right. Yes, I understand. Alright; I'll meet you at the jail at 10am." Steve hung up the phone and turned to Jaime.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling the nerves of the day before, all over again.

"That was Special Agent Dupree. Oscar just confessed."

------


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"No-o-o..." Jaime said, her head spinning from the news. "How could Oscar confess? He didn't do it!"

"Do we really know that for sure?" Steve asked quietly.

Jaime was indignant. "Of course we do! Oscar doesn't have murder in him! He might kill to protect someone he cares about, but murder? _No way_!"

Steve's eyes met hers, and the lightbulb that had just flashed on in his mind was clearly visible in his gaze. "Sweetheart, say that again."

"No way?"

"Before that; because I think you just hit the nail on the head."

Jaime's inner lightbulb was on now, too. "He'd kill to protect someone he cares about..."

Steve nodded. "Or confess to something he didn't do." He got out of bed and dressed quickly. "I'm supposed to meet Dupree at the jail at 10:00, but Oscar must already be awake, if he just confessed. I'll head up there now, and maybe he'll be more willing to level with me if Dupree isn't along for the ride."

------

"I'm sorry, Colonel Austin," the guard told him, "but the only people allowed back there to see Goldman are the investigators and his attorney."

"I understand that, but I just took over as OSI Director and this is official - and urgent - OSI business. You're interfering with the United States Government."

"I could lose my job for this," the guard grumbled, "but - alright." He unlocked the door to the largest of the four private visitors' rooms. "Wait in here."

The guard led Oscar in and Steve demanded, with all the authority of his new position, that the cuffs and shackles be removed. The guard complied, then closed and locked the door, leaving Steve and Oscar alone.

"I had a feeling I'd be seeing you this morning, Pal. She finally told you?"

Steve was confused. "She - what? - no. Dupree and I are coming - officially - at 10. I wanted a little time to talk privately first."

"I figured you might."

"Oscar, what happened? Did they do something to hurt you, or were you threatened in some way? What made you confess?"

"The truth made me confess," Oscar said in a clear, steady voice. "I shot him, Steve."

"I don't believe you."

"It's the Gods-honest-truth."

"Who are you protecting?"

"What?" Oscar asked, feigning bewilderment.

"You either pulled the trigger to protect someone Hansen threatened, or you confessed to protect the real killer," Steve told him. Oscar didn't answer. "Dammit, Oscar! Your life is on the line! _Tell me the truth_ - which is it?"

"Both."

"What?"

"I pulled the trigger to protect someone, and I confessed to protect that same someone. I'm surprised you don't already know..."

"I don't have time for guessing games. Tell me who you're covering for. Who are you protecting?"

As much as Oscar didn't want to say it, he knew the time had come. "Pal...it was Jaime."

------

Steve glanced at his watch as he ran up the sidewalk and through his own front door. It was 7:55am, just over two hours before he had to meet Dupree. He didn't want to consider that what Oscar had told him could possibly be true, but all of the details his former boss had given him fit perfectly, and his words had the ring of truth. And yet...Jaime?

He found her in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee. "We have to talk," he told her. "Now."

Jaime's eyes grew wide with fear and confusion. "Steve, what's wrong? What happened with Oscar?"

"Let's go sit in the den," he suggested, trying to keep his voice calm and level.

Jaime sat down on the sofa, and instead of sitting next to her as he normally would, Steve chose the chair that allowed him to directly face her so he could gauge her reactions and body language.

Jaime looked questioningly at him. "What did Oscar say to you? Does he know who did it?"

"He says he does."

"So...who is it?"

"Jaime, he said he's covering for you."

"Ohmigod...no!"

Steve lowered his eyes, finding it impossible to look at her. "Jaime," he said very softly, "I'm gonna ask you this one time, and then never, ever ask you again - and I'm really sorry, but I do have to ask - did you kill Jack Hansen?"

"Of course not! Steve -"

"Did you shoot him?"

"No! Absolutely, positively **_NO_**! I was with you that night, remember?"

"Not the whole night, Sweetheart..."

"Oh, you're kidding! I went outside to fill the birdfeeders, and then I watched the lightening bugs. I wasn't out there for more than half an hour, and it takes at least 20 minutes to drive to the office - each way. So there ya go: proof."

"Not exactly. The 20 minutes is in a car, in DC traffic. As an experiment, I just ran here from the office. A direct path, at bionic speed, took less than ten minutes."

"You...you think I...killed him," Jaime said slowly.

"I didn't say that, and neither did Oscar, but the time you were outside coincides perfectly with what Oscar did say."

Jaime began to tremble violently. "I thought 'Colonel Austin' got locked in the office before you came home."

Steve got up and moved to sit next to her, taking her in his arms. "Jaime, I'm not talking to you as your boss. This is the man who loves you, and if you _are_ in trouble, the one who desperately wants to help you."

"I...don't understand. If Oscar told you I didn't do it -"

"Oscar said you didn't kill Hansen; he did."

"You lost me, Austin. I don't understand, and I'm not sure I want to."

"Oscar told me he was on his way home for the night and right before the parking garage, on that strip of grass, Jack Hansen staggered up to him, bleeding from a chest wound. He said..." Steve's voice trailed off.

"What?" Jaime insisted.

"Sweetheart, Hansen told Oscar...that you shot him and he was gonna make sure you fried for it."

"No -"

"That was one thing Oscar couldn't deal with. You know how he feels about you."

Jaime's eyes filled with tears as she suddenly realized what was coming next. Steve continued. "Hansen turned to go, laughing, and Oscar shot him."

"In the back - that's automatically murder, isn't it?"

"Usually, yes. I have a theory, though. C'mon; I'll need your help."

------


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Dupree looked skeptically at Jaime and Steve. "So you're telling me that Oscar Goldman shot Jack Hansen to protect you, Miss Sommers, but you'd never shot him to begin with -"

"Right."

"And the person who actually fired the fatal shot to his chest was Jack Hansen himself?"

"Now you're getting it," Steve told him. "Oscar's shot made no difference in terms of the end result. Hansen killed himself, and he hated Oscar, and the OSI as a whole, enough to frame him. He knew the only way to get Oscar to take a shot would be to threaten someone he loves."

"This just keeps getting better and better," Dupree remarked. "Goldman's in love with your fiancee' and you're ok with it? You expect me to buy that? This is _not_ Peyton Place."

Steve shrugged. "Oscar's feelings for Jaime have always been one of the worst-kept secrets at the OSI. Oscar made a choice, though, to stay married to his career. The way he put it, no one else would want it. After the last day and a half, I can sure see his point. I could put at least a half-dozen people on the stand who'd testify to his feelings for Jaime. I could also get any jury in the country to find there was extreme provocation and emotional duress. If you insist on going forward with this case, I guarantee that Oscar Goldman will be found not guilty."

"Very nice little speech, Colonel, but where is the actual physical proof?" Dupree demanded.

"There's a storm drain in back of the parking garage, and the gun is down there; I saw it. Jack wasn't wearing gloves, so his prints will be on it. If you test his hands, you'll find he did fire the gun. The coroner is prepared to testify that the chest wound is at the right angle, in a close enough range, that Hansen could've done it. He'll also tell you that Hansen was only minutes or less from death, with or without Oscar's shot, and any intent on Oscar's part was to protect a loved one and defend her honor, not to kill."

"Alright - ok; I'll look into it," Dupree conceded.

"And you'll let Oscar go?" Jaime prompted.

"If everything you've said is true, then I'll have no other choice."

------

Three days later, Jaime and Steve stopped at the Tranquility Fountain on their way into OSI Headquarters. It seemed an entirely different world they were entering from the one of just a few days earlier. The Fountain was actually tranquil, and the walkways and lobbies teamed with people who were once again going about their business with their heads held high, some of them even daring to smile. Steve had done an admirable (and unenviable) job holding things together in Oscar's absence, but it was as though the heart and soul had been wrenched away and now had been returned.

They walked through the huge front door and were surprised and shocked to be greeted with applause and adulation. It shouldn't have been such a shock; if the heart and soul were back and life's blood once again pumped through the agency, they were the two people who'd made that happen. Standing in the middle of the group, holding out two glasses of champagne for them, with the biggest smile of all, was Oscar. The world was right-side-up again, and this was the team to make sure it stayed that way.

END


End file.
